Less is More. (More or less...)

So this is Joseph and it has been next to forever that I wrote anything on the blog so I thought I would write a few things tonight to document a few things that have changed since the last time I decided to attach ink to paper.

So the biggest thing that is new is our location. After nearly 10 years in Houston we picked up camp and moved 1350 miles west to Flagstaff Arizona. While I still work for El Paso Pipeline I applied for and was offered a position in field operations leadership. I loved my group and the position I was in back in Houston, but it was time for something new and we found it. So the new job is the first on the list of new things. I have 28 employees across the northern part of Arizona and they do a superb job of keeping the pipeline running. I hope that I can live up to their expectations and be a good leader for them.

Along with the new job the next new thing is that on October 17th El Paso was purchased by Kinder Morgan, another energy company. Kinder Morgan is a company created in the 90s by two ex-execs from Enron. Their company has grown rapidly and the owners are pretty wealthy. They offered $38 billion for the company in cash, stock, and debt assumption - not spare change. The future of what they will change is still being decided, but there is a possibility that my job or those that work for me with change. The formal take over will be in the middle of 2012 because the government has to approve that we are not a monopoly. We are hoping for the best.

Another new thing is the snow. Both Samuel and Luke love the snow - whether its eating it, stomping it, or throwing it. They are very willing to get into the snow not realizing the effects. Today Seth bolted out the door and headed for the snow, but stopped at the last moment when he touched the snow and realized how cold it was. He stopped and looked back at me with an inquisitive look. The new part of this paragraph is not only the snow, but the boots, gloves, coats, etc that are not required in Houston, but are a daily necessity here in Flagstaff.

The house we live is in new for a few reasons. First although this is our third house it is the first that has an upstairs. This means new exercises for us to go up and down and new experiences having the kids on a different floor from us. The house is also in a new ward which gives us the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. The newest thing in the house is the collection of Christmas decorations that are up. The boys love that as well.

So it seems you are now up to date on a few of the new things that are happening in our life. We are blessed beyond measure and thankful for all the Lord has blessed us with. We have three beautiful boys that are growing fast and full of energy and that keeps us young. We are happy and that goes a long way. Well there is my post and it may be a while before you get another one so enjoy it.

Talk to you later,
Joseph

I definitely answer the phone less now that I have kids. Important things are going on!

On Saturday Dec 4 (a few days after the Dec 1 guess date) I woke up at 2:03 with contractions. They were close together - mostly 3 minutes apart - and I called the midwife at about 3:45. I don't think I realized how close they were and I should have called an hour earlier. Who knew the baby would come in two and a half hours!

My water broke at 4:20 and pushing began almost immediately - I was afraid I couldn't make it to the birthing pool in the living room (but I did). Joseph called the midwife again and she was just getting off the freeway. The baby was crowning before she got in the house and we completed our first water birth at 4:34 am. He was calm and didn't cry for quite awhile. He was 8 lbs 8 oz of perfection and 21 1/2inches long.



With our midwife Nanci Stanley, Samuel, and baby no-name-yet.






He looks a lot like Luke, but that name is taken.

We redeemed a free ice cream coupon on Samuel's birthday. He ALWAYS chooses chocolate. Luke and I shared a nutty coconut ice cream.




Jack-o-lantern pancakes (whole wheat of course). Samuel was so enthused he wanted one for every child in his class. I hope the parents weren't too weirded-out to find a pancake in the take-home treat bag.




Spiderweb cookies were fun to make. Last year I scored all kinds of free tube frosting at post-holiday sales and this was my chance to use it.



Samuel's idea of how I should cut out his Halloween costume.







This angle shows the shark fin in the back.